Fife A92 Action Plan July 2015 Fife A92 Action Plan 1. Introduction Detailed consultation has been carried out through public meetings, liaising with community councils, local groups and local members to formulate a comprehensive list of feedback and proposals for the A92 in Fife shown in Appendix D, which are gratefully acknowledged. The full list of contributors is shown in Appendix C. Fife Council believes there is a case on both safety and economic grounds for the full dualling of the A92 between Glenrothes and the Tay Bridge, but recognises that there are different views on the desirability of this approach and that this is a long term aspiration. However, there is a clear consensus locally around the need for substantial improvements to parts of the road in the short, medium and long term in terms of road safety and to achieve economic benefits for Fife and for the wider City Region. The A92 Priority Action List is detailed in Section 8 of this document. 2. Background Local residents and businesses have long raised concerns about road safety for both vehicle and pedestrian movements on certain sections of the A92. A recent increase in traffic accidents on short sections of the A92 has exacerbated these concerns. There is concern on road safety grounds that the composition of traffic on the A92 and lack of overtaking opportunities cause delays and traffic build ups on the single carriageway sections and creating a variability in journey times. Road safety statistics and traffic data are shown in Appendix A. There is further local concern that the economic development of this area which utilises the A92 for both commuting and commercial purposes is being limited, see Appendix E. To alleviate these concerns, highlighted through recent meetings with relevant stakeholders, this Action Plan has been developed. The Action Plan includes a Priority Action list which details measures that can be carried out to improve road safety in the short, medium and long term and this will be presented to the Minister for Transport and Islands and Transport Scotland to inform future works on this part of the A92. 3. A92 Trunk Road The A92 forms part of the trunk road network, which is maintained and managed by Transport Scotland and their agents, see figure 1on following page. The A92 runs across Fife from the M90 junction 3 (Halbeath) to the Tay Road Bridge Roundabout, Newport. Trunk roads are maintained on behalf of Transport Scotland by different operating companies, which have contracts for 5 to 7 years. This section of the A92 is part of the North East trunk roads and is currently maintained by BEAR Scotland. The A92 in Fife is a strategic road and has stretches of both dual and single carriageway, with the speed limit varying across the different sections of road from 40mph to 70mph. From the M90 to Glenrothes, the A92 is a dual carriageway but north of Glenrothes, the road reverts to single carriageway until Forgan roundabout, south of the Tay Road Bridge Roundabout – see map 7 in Appendix B. Figure 1 - Trunk Road Network – Transport Scotland The A92 trunk road in Fife is a regional transport corridor from the M90 through to Glenrothes that enables economic and social growth in the communities along the route. Much of the local road network in Fife has access to the A92, and this can cause conflict between the speed of traffic on the trunk road and the need of local traffic to access or cross the A92. 4. National Transport Priorities – Strategic Transport Projects Review Improvements to the A92 have been listed as part of Transport Scotland’s Strategic Transport Projects Review 2008, which identified the Scottish Governments 29 strategic transport interventions for the period until 2032. Under Section 5 – ‘Route Management on Other Road Corridors’, the A92 between Edinburgh and Dundee is identified in terms of the following issues: “A.37 These routes generally perform well, and as such no objectives have been established to address corridor specific issues. A.38 However, there is a need to maintain and safely operate these in the context of a route management strategy. This intervention would include a variety of localised improvements that would be undertaken in tandem, and driven by, the trunk road maintenance contracts. These enhancements would be targeted to bring the physical condition and safety standards of the routes concerned to a level which will support the expected levels of traffic during the period of the review.” Although the Strategic Transport Projects Review says the routes perform well, the list of proposals and concerns raised by local groups in Appendix D do not agree with this. The current Review of the National Transport Strategy (expected in late 2015) and subsequent reappraised Strategic Transport Projects Review should reflect these concerns. 2 5. Fife Council As a Local Authority, Fife Council cannot fund or implement any improvement works to the A92 as it is owned and operated as part of the Transport Scotland trunk road network. However, what Fife Council can do is raise local concerns with Scottish Government and work in partnership to support the Glenrothes Area Futures Group (GAFG) and other interested parties in the desire for improvements. Consultation Events: • Previous summit in February 2014 • Meeting 31 March 2014 • Summit Meeting – 11th March 2015 • Public Meeting - 25th March 2015 Over 80 people attended the public meeting of 25th March 2015 hosted by GAFG which included Alan Campbell of BEAR Scotland, Stephen Davies of Transport Scotland, Dr Bob McLellan of Fife Council, Brenda Sinclair of Police Scotland, and a number of local members including Cllr David Ross, Council Leader. A presentation on the concerns raised about the A92 and a way forward was given by Dr Bob McLellan, Head of Transportation and Environment, Fife Council, see Appendix F. 6. Local Interest Groups and Community Councils The Glenrothes Area Futures Group (GAFG) was set up in 2007 with the aim “to ascertain, co-ordinate and express the views of the communities in Glenrothes and the surrounding area. It will encourage and promote community participation and a sense of community spirit within Glenrothes and the surrounding area.” In January 2006, a paper was raised by three local Community Councils and circulated for discussion to Fife Council Officials, Councillors and MSPs. The paper raised five specific points of concern to the people of and around Glenrothes and to all of those who use this part of the A92, which are now known as “The Five Hazards”, see the North Glenrothes Community Council submission “A92 Prestonhall to Balfarg Issues” in Appendix D. The consensus was that the concerns involve both road safety and the economy of the local area. This paper was adopted by GAFG. GAFG raised a petition with the Public Petitions Committee in 2008, resulting in 3250 signatures. The petition urged the Scottish Government to “immediately improve and upgrade the A92 trunk road, in particular between Preston roundabout and Balfarg junction, to reduce the number of hazards and accidents and bring about improved benefits to the local and wider economy.” As a result of the petition and the resulting questions, Transport Scotland and BEAR Scotland carried out a Transport Appraisal, in line with the Scottish Transport Appraisal Guidance (STAG), on the section of the A92 between Preston Roundabout and Balfarg junction, to the north east of Glenrothes. This section consists of a single carriageway road with varying speed limits between 40mph and 60mph. 3 7. BEAR / Transport Scotland Works Programme / A92 Route Accident Reduction Plan Previous studies have been undertaken for this section of the A92, by both Fife Council and BEAR Scotland, including the Scottish Transport Appraisal Guidance (STAG) on the A92 Cadham and Balfarg junctions. Improvements have been implemented over the years, including a programme of works in 2002, which saw the construction of the Tullis Russell Roundabout to replace the existing junction and improvements to Preston Roundabout. In 2013, Transport Scotland commissioned BEAR Scotland to undertake a Route Accident Reduction Plan on the A92 between Halbeath and the Tay Road Bridge Roundabout to identify measures to improve road safety. Within the study area, injury accident clusters were identified. These occur predominantly at the major junctions along the route. The recorded injury accidents at these locations typically involved lane discipline issues, shunts and turning manoeuvres. As a result of this, a programme of improvement works was created, and these are being undertaken to date by BEAR Scotland. Transport Scotland have also carried out a speed limit review across the trunk road network, including the A92. Transport Scotland Planned Actions: • Preston Roundabout – New signing and road markings • New Inn Roundabout – New signing and road markings • Freuchie – Improved signing and report on pedestrian and traffic surveys • Grip testing – Bankhead Roundabout (A92 northbound exit) and bend north of Cadham junction. These latest improvement works are now virtually completed. Local individuals and groups nevertheless regard them as a patching exercise, with the five hazards listed in the North Glenrothes Community Council report in Appendix D still remaining and highlighted by a spate of recent serious and fatal accidents. 4 8. Priority Action List Fife Council has compiled the priority actions for the A92 in Fife. These actions are listed below by location, from north to south along the A92. The priority actions were developed after careful consideration of all the contributions listed in Appendix D. Note: Short Term – 0 to 2 years, Medium Term – 2 to 5 years, Long Term – 5 years plus 1. Melville Lodges Roundabout to B937 Junction – see Map 1 Appendix B Map Location Concern Solution Term Ref. Map 1 A92 / Q62 - Road Realign junction to increase visibility splay.